Total applications

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

European patent applications per country of origin

Nearly half (49%) of all European patent applications in 2014 came from the EPO member states, with European firms filing 2.2% more European patent applications than in the previous year. The leading countries of origin overall were the US, Germany, Japan, France and the Netherlands.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Top technical fields

Medical technology was again the field with the highest volume of applications, even growing moderately. Biotechnology, Electrical machinery and Computer technology grew the fastest, while applications in Pharmaceuticals dropped significantly for the second year in a row.

Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy

This field encompasses lighting devices, power and electric energy supply systems, basic electric elements and techniques. Some specific examples of technologies in this field are power cables, magnets, relays and x-rays techniques.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Medical technology

The field of Medical technology covers medical instruments for diagnosis, treatment of diseases and surgery. Technologies included in this field are, for example, vaccination instruments, prostheses, surgical robots, computed tomography and pacemakers.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Digital communication

This field encompasses basic electronic circuitry and electronic communication. The field includes, for example, amplifiers, decoders and telegraphic communication.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Computer technology

This field encompasses computing, calculating and counting devices. It includes, for example, digital computers and data processing systems.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Transport

This field encompasses vehicles, and more specifically vehicle tyres, wheels, windows and roofs, railway systems.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Measurement

This field encompasses horology, devices for measuring position and displacement, more specifically clocks and watches, navigation systems, volume, liquid and sound measuring devices.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Pharmaceuticals

This field encompasses preparations for medical, dental or hygiene purposes, for example emulsions, dragees and amalgams.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

1) Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale.

Biotechnology

This field encompasses peptides, microbiology and genetic engineering. Included in the field are, for example, genetically modified organisms, brewing of beers, preparation of wine and vinegar.

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Country profiles

European companies filed the greatest number of applications in nine of the ten most active fields, the only exception being Computer technology, where US applicants were dominant.

EPO in a worldwide context

EPO member states – top 5

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Based on the WIPO IPC-Technology concordance. Methodology available at: http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/patents/pdf/wipo_ipc_technology.pdf
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

Rank

Country

Applications per mio inhabitants

Population

Applications

1.

Switzerland

847.6

8 061 516

6 833

2.

Finland

416.2

5 268 799

2 193

3.

Netherlands

405.5

16 877 351

6 844

4.

Sweden

394.6

9 723 809

3 837

5.

Denmark

354.3

5 569 077

1 973

6.

Germany

316.3

80 996 685

25 621

7.

Austria

238.7

8 223 062

1 963

8.

Belgium

181.8

10 449 361

1 900

9.

Japan

173.2

127 103 388

22 018

10.

France

159.3

66 259 012

10 557

11.

Israel

133.1

7 821 850

1 041

12.

Ireland

125.8

4 832 765

608

13.

Republic of Korea

125.2

49 039 986

6 141

14.

United States

114.4

318 892 103

36 491

15.

Norway

102.0

5 147 792

525

16.

United Kingdom

73.5

63 742 977

4 687

17.

Singapore

62.5

5 567 301

348

18.

Slovenia

61.9

1 988 292

123

19.

Italy

58.6

61 680 122

3 613

20.

Canada

49.3

34 834 841

1 718

21.

Chinese Taipei

47.9

23 359 928

1 120

22.

New Zealand

40.7

4 401 916

179

23.

Cyprus

40.1

1 172 458

47

24.

Australia

35.1

22 507 617

790

25.

Spain

30.5

47 737 941

1 456

26.

Estonia

28.6

1 257 921

36

27.

Czech Republic

15.7

10 627 448

167

28.

Poland

12.4

38 346 279

475

29.

Qatar

11.3

2 123 160

24

30.

Hungary

11.1

9 919 128

110

31.

Saudi Arabia

10.6

27 345 986

289

32.

Portugal

10.4

10 813 834

112

33.

Greece

8.1

10 775 557

87

34.

Lithuania

6.8

3 505 738

24

35.

Slovakia

5.1

5 492 677

28

36.

Turkey

4.9

81 619 392

402

37.

Bulgaria

4.6

6 924 716

32

38.

United Arab Emirates

4.4

5 628 805

25

39.

Puerto Rico

3.9

3 620 897

14

40.

Latvia

3.7

2 165 165

8

41.

China

3.4

1 355 692 576

4 624

41.

Hong Kong

3.4

7 112 688

24

43.

Mauritius

3.0

1 331 155

4

44.

Croatia

2.7

4 470 534

12

45.

Kuwait

2.6

2 742 711

7

46.

Chile

2.4

17 363 894

41

47.

South Africa

2.3

48 375 645

111

48.

Panama

2.2

3 608 431

8

49.

Malaysia

1.8

30 073 353

53

50.

Serbia

1.5

7 209 764

11

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Source of population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base